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  • Fees double at Halong Bay cruise terminal

    Fees double at Halong Bay cruise terminal

    8pm, 21 & 22 March

    Hanoi Opera House, 1 Trang Tien St., HN

    June 02,2017 07:00 AM

    The Tuan Chau Corporation, which manages the only tourist wharf for trips out to Halong Bay and nearby Bai Tu Long Bay, Tuan Chau Wharf, has announced it will double entry fees for visitors to VND40,000 ($1.75). The entry fee includes free water and wi-fi at the wharf, which can handle about 2,000 boats, or ten times more than the old one, and can berth large vessels. Halong Bay, a UNESCO world heritage site, and Bai Tu Long, to its northeast, are popular destinations in northern Vietnam and the main attractions in Quang Ninh province, welcoming 8.3 million tourists last year, 42% of them foreigners.

  • BETTER SERVICES ON RAILWAYS

    BETTER SERVICES ON RAILWAYS

    8pm, 21 & 22 March

    Hanoi Opera House, 1 Trang Tien St., HN

    June 01,2017 03:00 PM

    The Hanoi Railway Transport Co. is trying to cash in on the summer holiday season by upgrading trains to popular destinations. The company has added more comfortable seats and beds and cleaned up toilets on trains from Hanoi to Lao Cai and the north-central city of Vinh, nearby the popular Cua Lo Beach. It has also introduced shuttle buses to take passengers from Lao Cai train station to Sapa and from Vinh train station to Cua Lo. Sapa is one of the most famous towns in Vietnam, becoming even more popular during the summer thanks to its cool climate. Most tourists previously travelled to the town by train from Hanoi, but since the Noi Bai-Lao Cai Expressway opened in September 2014, many find the five-hour bus ride more appealing than the eight-hour trip on the train. Train tickets from Hanoi to Sapa now cost up to $20, but the company said summer vacationers would receive a discount of 10-20%. Cua Lo Beach, which stretches over 10 km, is one of the most popular beaches in northern Vietnam, with white sands and clear blue water.

  • Hanoi Opera House open to tourists

    Hanoi Opera House open to tourists

    8pm, 21 & 22 March

    Hanoi Opera House, 1 Trang Tien St., HN

    June 01,2017 08:00 AM

    The Hanoi Opera House will begin welcoming tourists from June, with tours of its facilities, history and architecture and some live performances. Located near Hoan Kiem Lake, the 2,600 sq m theatre is a phenomenal piece of neo-classical French architecture, with pillars, shuttered windows, balconies, a mirrored room, and Gothic detailing on its doors and domes and was constructed between 1901 and 1911. The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism has produced publications, brochures, and souvenirs and trained staff at the Opera House to welcome foreign visitors.

  • Proposal to make alcohol firms pay healthcare tax

    Proposal to make alcohol firms pay healthcare tax

    8pm, 21 & 22 March

    Hanoi Opera House, 1 Trang Tien St., HN

    June 02,2017 07:00 AM

    A draft law has been proposed that subjects companies producing or importing alcohol and beer to a total annual charge of VND360 billion ($16.36 million) for healthcare services. According to the Ministry of Health, the fund will partially help to save State budget funds on public healthcare activities and is also expected to reduce alcohol and tobacco consumption as well as raise public awareness about the harm caused by alcohol and tobacco. Vietnam now ranks second in Southeast Asia, tenth in Asia, and 29th in the world in terms of alcohol consumption. More than 77% of adult males and 11% of women told a recent survey they had drunk alcohol in the last 30 days. Nearly half of men had engaged in heavy ‘binge’ drinking.

  • GrabShare carpool service debuts

    GrabShare carpool service debuts

    8pm, 21 & 22 March

    Hanoi Opera House, 1 Trang Tien St., HN

    June 01,2017 12:00 PM

    Grab Vietnam has debuted its carpool service GrabShare in HCMC, a move hoped to help relieve traffic congestion. This is the first carpool mobile app in the country and helps users save up to 30% on the cost of the normal GrabCar service. It is also said to help drivers increase their income by combining two trips in the same direction into one journey. The service encourages passengers to travel together so as to raise car use efficiency and reduce the number of vehicles on the streets, thereby contributing to easing traffic congestion and cutting down exhaust fumes. Grab Vietnam said it wants to make the online cab booking service more convenient and cheaper so that no one will want to buy vehicles for personal use. After HCMC, GrabShare is expected to be piloted in Hanoi in June.

  • Night market to open in Danang

    8pm, 21 & 22 March

    Hanoi Opera House, 1 Trang Tien St., HN

    June 01,2017 06:00 AM

    The first regular night market and shopping area on the east side of the Rong (Dragon) Bridge for pedestrians will open on 12 June in the central city of Danang. The night market will feature 150 stalls selling souvenirs, food and local specialties from 6pm to midnight daily, and is reserved for pedestrians in the evenings. The city previously opened a night food centre on Huynh Thuc Khang Street. The city also plans to build a 4.4-ha Central Square in the downtown area that will serve as a landmark tourism attraction and shopping and public entertainment site, on Bach Dang, Phan Chau Trinh, Nguyen Thai Hoc, Hung Vuong, Le Duan, and Pham Hong Thai Streets. Danang hosted 5.6 million tourists in 2016, of which 1.67 million were foreigners.

  • More tourist streets to open in HCMC

    More tourist streets to open in HCMC

    8pm, 21 & 22 March

    Hanoi Opera House, 1 Trang Tien St., HN

    June 02,2017 05:00 AM

    HCMC administrators are planning to open more tourist streets to attract travellers to the city. Jewellery streets are scheduled to be created on Nhieu Tam, Nghia Thuc and Bui Huu Nghia, where gold making developed in the 1980s. Nguyen Trai will become a fashion street, in addition to a traditional medicine street and jewellery street. Tourists will be protected while shopping in these streets, with more police officers on duty and cameras installed. Prices in shops on these streets are to be listed, to prevent overcharging. The city also plans to hold a tourism festival each month along these streets. The city’s tourism sector targets welcoming 7 million international tourists and 25 million local visitors this year.

  • Public bicycle service offered in HCMC

    8pm, 21 & 22 March

    Hanoi Opera House, 1 Trang Tien St., HN

    June 01,2017 10:00 AM

    HCMC’s Department of Transport plans to launch a public bicycle service in the city centre to raise the quality of public transport. The service will help people move conveniently between bus stations, where the bicycles are picked up and dropped off free of charge, and cut waiting times or travel on short distances in inner-city areas. People can take a bicycle for one hour at no charge and return it at different bus stops. The city’s Department of Transport will also pilot arranging separate lanes for buses on certain streets, including Dien Bien Phu and Vo Thi Sau. The city has considered using small buses for connections with urban railways lines and bus rapid transit routes.

  • National tourism complex planned for Moc Chau

    National tourism complex planned for Moc Chau

    8pm, 21 & 22 March

    Hanoi Opera House, 1 Trang Tien St., HN

    June 01,2017 06:00 AM

    A master plan to build the Moc Chau National Tourism Complex has been recently approved. The complex will cover 206,150 ha in Son La province’s Moc Chau and Van Ho districts. About 1,500 ha will house the key tourism centre, including a resort centre, an eco-tourism centre, and a recreation centre. The plan aims to bring into full play the values of the natural landscapes, folk culture, and local identities, meeting demand for tourism development in the northern midlands and mountainous region as well as the country as a whole.

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